Titus Glover, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for the Tema East Constituency was speaking when he visited the Tema Port to meet with management and security officials in charge at the facility.

[contextly_sidebar id=”E52AUpgyLh2rR5SLPLmqNgtT5TEsgxTA”]Mr. Glover said the recent incident came as a surprise to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) because “Ghana has been acclaimed as one of the best ports in terms of security at both Tema and Takoradi”

He indicated that as part of measures to halt these attacks, the GPHA will be collaborating with operators at sea to ensure that they abide by safety standards.

“The Ghana Navy needs to be supportive in their patrols. Internally, GPHA security will also be engaging with the operators at sea with the support of Marine Police and the Ghana Navy so that the activities of those who are working outside the port, who go far in the sea to transact business are regularized to conform with the regulations of the country to forestall similar incidents in the future.”

Last Monday, a Ghanaian fishing vessel was reported to have been hijacked by some persons believed to be Nigerian pirates.

The Deputy Director of Environment and Safety Standards at the Ghana Maritime Authority, Captain Inusah Abdul-Nasir, indicated that this occurrence is not new, considering that this year [2018] alone, there had been “some significant number of hijackings in the West African sub-region”

Five persons on board were taken hostage, but the abandoned vessel was rescued by the Ghana Navy.

The five, including three Koreans, one Ghanaian and a Greek national, are believed to have been taken hostage by some alleged Nigerian hijackers, who attempted to seize the tuna vessel, Marine 711 on the Keta high seas.

However, one of the crew members who was found together with the abandoned vessel, is currently receiving medical treatment as a result of the traumatic experience.

The vessel, Marine 711, with official No. 316694, and registration No. AFT28 has successfully rescued and is currently at berth 10 at the Tema Port.

–

By: Marian Ansah/citimonline.com/Ghana

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He has thus denied the report by the Daily Graphic which was published by citifmonline.com, on September 22, 2017, suggesting that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), has begun investigations into the matter, following the interdiction of David Boison, who is said to have been implicated in an investigative report conducted by the authority from April to August 2017.

According to him, he’s unaware of an investigation by any state institution, because he has not committed any crime to warrant that probe.

He however said he will readily avail himself to be probed to prove his innocence of need be.

“…That the publication is a package of inaccuracies and falsehoods about him and that claims about his alleged involvement in procurement are pure fabrication and that said publication ought to be disregarded in its entirety as far as the allegations are about his alleged act of wrongdoing” part of the rejoinder read.

Below is the full Rejoinder as sent to the Daily Graphic and copied to citifmonline.com.

REJOINDER: RE: EOCO INVESTIGATES IT MANAGER OF GPHA FOR ALLEGEDLY INFLATING PROJECT COST

We are instructed by David King Boison, IT Manager of the GPHA, to file and request publication of this brief but important rejoinder to your publication (print and online) of 22nd September 2017 under the above-mentioned heading.

This resort to a constitutional right to a rejoinder over your said publication is intended to afford him fair opportunity to state his side of the facts for the records, and it is hoped it will receive same prominence (print and online) as said publication.

Our client informs us, and wishes you and your esteemed readers to know and be guided by the following:

1) That the publication is a package of inaccuracies and falsehoods about him and that claims about his alleged involvement in procurement are pure fabrication and that said publication ought to be disregarded in its entirety as far as the allegations are about his alleged act of wrongdoing.
2) That he is unaware of any probe whatsoever by any investigative institution of State though such has become necessary and that he would give his fullest co-operation to any investigations because same will only affirm paragraph (1) above.
3) That he has since his elevation to that office in March 2015, executed his assigned duties and responsibilities conscientiously earning him two prestigious national and international awards in his field of expertise, and that these have not only significantly enhanced the image of the GPHA, but also the technology university where he teaches Supply Chain and IT related programs. He, as PhD candidate recently won an award in the category of World Review of Business Research as Best Paper at the 8th Global Business Research Conference in Italy for a paper on Berth Optimization.
4) That the thrust and gravamen of said publication being the allegation attributed to a five-member committee of the GPHA that he, David King Boison, overpriced IT solutions contracts and received unlawful benefits as a result can only be laughable as his assigned responsibilities as IT Manager do not even remotely extend to pricing of any procurement or payment for same.

5) That as IT Manager he does not belong to the GPHA procurement department which by law has the mandate and is responsible for each of the procurements referred to in said publication, and it is unthinkable how such an officer can be said to have overpriced or been involved in overpricing and by extension paying/authorizing/advising payment of said procurements.

6) That it is a proven fact that the email message referred to in said publication as the single paramount evidence of his alleged involvement is a product of hacking (the institution has been fighting hacking for a while now) traced to a named IP address, and that neither he nor the alleged intended recipients of the said email ever received same.

7) That as earlier stated, he believes in due process and is standing ready to prove his innocence and assert his rights in a lawful forum in due course.
We expect your kind co-operation in compliance with our client’s constitutional right to a rejoinder.
–
By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Rejoinder: EOCO probes GPHA IT Manager over alleged project cost inflation appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This follows the interdiction of the GPHA’s IT Manager, Mr. David Boison, who is said to have been implicated in an investigative report conducted by the authority from April to August 2017.

The interdiction letter, signed by the acting Director-General of the authority, Paul Asare Ansah, cited Mr. Boison for engaging in unethical conduct by negotiating project costs upwards.

Mr. Boison is also said to have certified projects as completed when some of them were actually at their initial stages or were never executed.

Part of the letter read: “We refer to the committee that investigated the procurement and the usage of IT-related projects and programmes report and wish to inform you that prima facie evidence has been established against you. You are therefore interdicted, effective August 14, 2017, for further investigations into the various allegations that have come up.”

Value for money

Mr Boison is alleged to have supervised the procurement of inventors, stabilisers and batteries for an integrated IT project for the authority, costing $736,666.26.

Out of the amount, 80 per cent was paid, while the suppliers presented invoices to claim the outstanding 20 per cent, when the items were never supplied and installed.

He is also said to have some questions to answer in respect of the procurement of 36 power stabilisers and batteries as part of a $275,648.29 contract awarded to Arrow Network Systems but the items were never supplied and installed, although some payments were made by the GPHA.

Mr Boison is also alleged to have inflated by $30,000 the cost of a terminal operating system (TOS) contract awarded to ZConic IT Solutions for the procurement of a Dynamix AX 2012 system which has never been utilised since it was purchased.

An e-mail correspondence from Mr Boison to the vendor, dated July 8, 2016, read: “Dear Boss, Pls let’s work around 170K and 30,000 for those we need to satisfy in the chain. That amount excludes withholding tax. So we should be looking at 200K, excluding VAT, to compute the total, Regards.”

According to the GPHA’s internal investigative committee report, the TOS, supported by hand-held devices which were to be used for the paperless port project, in line with a port automation drive embarked on by the authority under the immediate past Director-General, Mr Richard Anamoo, was previously approved by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) at a cost of $622,094 and was to be supplied by Aeon Ventures in November 2016.

The device, it said, was, however, procured at $201,720 from a South African firm, Junzo Investments, in August 2017, following the cancellation of the previous contract with Aeon, an indication that the contract sum was overpriced by $420,374.

Other purchases

The investigative report also highlighted the supply of IT accessories to the International Maritime Hospital (IMAH), a subsidiary of the GPHA, by Online Computer Solutions to the tune of $346,841.91, for which the contract sum for the supply and installation had been paid.

According to the Chairman of the Investigative Committee, Mr Charles Sackey, although the installation was to be done by the vendor, the committee, during its fact-finding mission, found that employees of the IT Department of the GPHA were engaged in the installation.

He said a Fortigate Firewall which was earlier acquired for the Takoradi Port at a cost of $83,000 was allegedly overpriced by Mr Boison by $42,815, raising the figure significantly to $125,815.

He said a real estate management which the authority did not need was also procured for $124,854 from Dynamics Netsoft Technology.

“An enterprise asset management which was also procured for $124,854 from Hofinsoft Technology of India and was never used has since expired, since the authority had no use for it,” Mr Sackey said.

The report maintained that the investigations revealed many malpractices that went into the procurement process through the use of single source procurement methods.

“Staff did not assert themselves in the various roles assigned them. Others took advantage of the weak control environment and refused to make broader consultations in the preparation of project requirements, leading to most of the contracts being irrelevant,” it suggested.

Director-General

Mr Ansah, who confirmed Mr Boison’s interdiction to the Daily Graphic, indicated that the committee’s report had been referred to EOCO for further action.

According to him, Mr Boison could not convince the committee concerning many of the projects he undertook when he appeared before the five-member panel.

“As a manager, he failed to apply the necessary due diligence in the performance of his duty, a situation that further weakened the procurement chain. As the lead negotiator and executor of various IT-related projects, he should have provided expert advice for management on the utilisation of the purchases,” Mr Ansah said.

–

Source: Graphic Online

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This perceived vastness of the duties and responsibilities of the Director General of GPHA within the ports communities has created an erroneous impression that makes any appointed GPHA boss the most coveted; literally supervising over a gold mining cave within Ghana’s economy pot.

The imagined prestige in the accompaniment that GPHA trails along with might be the reason why most people want to work at the Tema or Takoradi ports, and apparently GPHA. Yet, true as it may be for any GPHA boss as imagined, much depends on the mindset, the upbringing, the sense of dedication and commitment of the individual who gets appointed to this prestigious position.

A closer look at Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, however, evokes several limitations as separate segmented compartments within the purview of the vastness of the Ports and Harbours Authority, and this is where Mr Paul Ansah presides over as landlord, and only in just one segment, yet with a colossal title as Director General of GPHA, with two assisting Directors, one at Tema and another at Takoradi harbour, minus the airports and the various cross-border entry ports.

The fact is that, within the vastness of the ports community, there exists other interests such as Customs & Excise under the GRA, with its own independent appointed boss, there is Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) under the ministry of finance, there is also National Security, and many more, ensconced on a piece of land where Mr Paul Ansah is the landlord with no oversight authority or responsibility over his tenants in what they do, and how it is done. All what is needed between landlord and tenants is co-operation.

In a chat with the Director General, he confidently explains that his operational areas in the community called GPHA within the two harbours are interactions with ship owners or their representatives, interactions with shipping lines, stevedoring companies, shipping and clearing agents, also known as freight forwarders, importers and exporters, and haulage companies.

Mr Ansah, who has been an officer at the ports and harbours authority for 23 years, and risen through the ranks until his appointment as Director General, further explains that his outfit’s business responsibilities with the above-mentioned members of the port communities, is to collect revenue from them, organise port infrastructure to create room and comfort for his tenants and visitors.

With all these explanations regarding GPHA’s operational parameters, there is a continuum of pressing concretions within the functions and activities of the Ghana Ports Authority that need to be found out for an intrusive surgery to be performed to remove them.

These chafing nodules hiding within the body of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority are the disturbing factors that have occasioned visits by both the vice-President, and the Senior minister to ascertain for themselves what gremlin exists at the ports, and for which Mr Paul Ansah has provided a very reassuring answer that can remedy all negative perceptions, both real and imagined within his area of operations.

Mr Ansah is beset with problems and challenges that he is confident to surmount, as well as rectifying remedies, all of which will appear in the sequels to this script. With his enormous experience acquired through many years of working at the ports, every challenge can be trampled upon, and it important the issues are segregated for the general public to know his jurisdictional confinement.

–

By: Patrick Mobila ([email protected])

The post GPHA in a closer perspective [Article] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

GPHA last week shut down three illegal mini ports and jetties being undertaken by some private companies.

They included LIB Limited, which is putting up a facility at Tema, and is expected to receive Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) imports.

Also, a fishing company, Omanye Oceans Fisheries Limited, is alleged to be constructing a boat yard along the shores of the Volta River at Anyanui in the Volta Region, while cement manufacturer, Diamond Cement Limited, is also reported to be developing a jetty at Keta in the same region, to receive clinker imports for the production of cement at its factory in Aflao.

[contextly_sidebar id=”npUtCY6mcfRxlTXp8iyNsbTrMv7X50kf”]The acting Director-General of the GPHA, Paul Ansah Asare, who prevented the companies from continuing with the projects, explained that the act breaches the PNDC Law 160 of 1986, which makes the GPHA the sole state entity authorized to plan, build, develop, manage, operate and control port facilities in Ghana.

He subsequently invited the head of the firms for a meeting in Accra, after which the companies apologized for their acts.

But speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, Mr. Ansah Asare, who described the acts as a criminal offence, said “when you realize that you have done wrong, the first to do is to apologize so I was not surprised when they began to apologize but that does not mean that the law will not take its course.”

He added that GPHA is in the process of ensuring that the law takes its course.

“You would agree with me that we have to consult, we need to do consultations as to what offense they have committed,” Mr. Asare added.

Illegal port builders disregarded directive to stop work

The GPHA boss further disclosed to Bernard Avle, host of the Citi Breakfast Show that the said companies had applied to the GPHA for permit to undertake such project in 2016, but the permits were not given.

H added that, when they picked up information that the companies were constructing the projects without permit, the GPHA wrote a letter ordering them to stop work, but the directive was ignored.

“When I came to office, my intelligence picked up this development so I sent a team comprising port security, national security,  marine police and the navy to go and ascertain what was happening there and lo and behold, we discovered that 650 meter long brick water had been developed and it was ongoing. So immediately we took steps to stop them.”

“…And in subsequent investigations, I realized that these people wrote to us [GPHA] somewhere in August [2016], looking for permit to develop. That had not been concluded yet, but in line with that culture of impunity, they decided to proceed. And in September [2016] when information got to us that they were developing the facility, they were written to, to stop work, and in March [2017], we wrote to them again asking them to stop work because we realized that they were still proceeding with the project. When these things are happening, you can be sure that there are more powerful people behind them,” he lamented.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post We’ll prosecute illegal port builders despite apology – GPHA boss appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

GPHA disclosed that a private developer, LIB Limited, is putting up a facility at Tema, which is expected to receive Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) imports for onward distribution and sale to oil marketing companies.

Also, a fishing company, Omanye Oceans Fisheries Limited, is alleged to be constructing a boat yard along the shores of the Volta River at Anyanui in the Volta Region, while cement manufacturer, Diamond Cement Limited, is also reported to be developing a jetty at Keta in the same region, to receive clinker imports for the production of cement at its factory in Aflao.

[contextly_sidebar id=”oVZiBfqC8ioFdqKxErIYIdjEreuHK7D1″]Throwing more light on the development, the acting Director-General of the GPHA, Paul Ansah Asare, said on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday that, his outfit will take action against the organisations in question because it breaches the PNDC Law 160 of 1986, which makes the GPHA the sole state entity authorized to plan, build, develop, manage, operate and control port facilities.

He added that such activities pose security threats to the country.

On Omanye’s supposed port, Mr. Asare said when they visited the site last Friday, “there were a lot of vessels and a lot of Chinese nationals over there; a clear indication that some port facility has been developed there without recourse to the due process of law.”

“Not only that place, but there is another place close to Tema where the people had developed about 600 meters of a jetty into the sea. And there were indications that somewhere around Keta as well, Diamond Cement is also preparing to develop a similar facility, all of them without due process of the law. It is a recipe for disaster,” he added.

Mr. Asare noted that, the framers of the PNDC Law 160 of 1986 “took cognizance of the seriousness of operating ports…the law gives such prerogative to the president through an executive instrument, not even through the approval of somebody at the presidency. But an executive instrument must be issued by the president to declare an enclave as a port. So it’s not a very simple thing to say that you have received a permit from the environmental protection or the metropolitan assembly or Ghana maritime authority, so you are in for a port just as you cannot go for a land somewhere and say you are developing an international airport so you cannot do that for a port.”

“It’s a huge operation they are about to undertake and with regards to the Diamond cement facility, they are building a vessel that can bring about 40,000 tons of clinker. It’s a huge operation synonymous to what is happening in our ports,” the acting GPHA boss noted.

When asked why they had not clamped down on such operations in the past, the acting Director General said the said companies had contacted them with regards to such projects “but that did not conclude into granting of licenses on what they are doing.”

“Granted that the monitoring was weak at that time, I believe that now the willpower is there to restore law and order. That is why our intelligence picked the signal and immediately we followed up to stop what was going on because it’s not in the interest of the country,” he added.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post GPHA halts construction of 3 ‘illegal’ ports appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Finder Newspaper on Friday reported that, 500 kilograms of cocaine worth about $30 million dollars had disappeared from the Port under mysterious circumstances.

But the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Tema Port, Juana Adda, told Citi News that they were only told by the Joint Port Control Unit (JPCU) that the containers were carrying rice.

[contextly_sidebar id=”zqCLNnSDCjzwQOOdA5LR6BShxzuymWVp”]“Yes indeed, the said containers were delivered to Depot 10 last year around November/December 2016, the joint Port control unit wrote to [Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority] GPHA, requesting the authority to prompt them when the said containers were due to be sent to the Golden Jubilee. In other words, the said containers should not move out of the terminal without their knowledge.”

“The unit further requested that, the said boxes would have to go through scanning before they are conveyed to the Golden Jubilee Terminal (GJP). The letter to GPHA did not state the reason for that directive. The letter did not indicate that cocaine was concealed in one of the containers,” she told Citi News on Friday.

The PRO explained that, the importer of the rice in February 2017, wrote a letter to the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) requesting to send samples to the lab for testing which she said was approved by CEPS.

“Following Customs approval, GPHA moved one of the containers to the state warehouse,” she added.

When asked whether Tema Port alerted the Joint Control Team about the development, Madam Adda explained that “Customs [CEPS] is part of the Joint Control Unit and whatever sampling would be done, NACOB is a member of the committee so if it has to do with sampling all of them would be part.”

“I believe that when they asked us to move the container, we complied with their directive. It was the duty of CEPS to also inform other members of the team that indeed this was happening. NACOB and Customs under these circumstances would have worked together,” she noted.

Why wasn’t there 24-hour surveillance?

She further blamed NACOB for the missing cocaine if indeed there was any, since according to her, the board could have mounted a 24-hour surveillance on the containers.

“If NACOB knew that cocaine has been concealed in one of the containers, the onus was on them to have taken over and mounted a 24-hour surveillance until such time that the importer was ready to clear. Maybe they could have hinted us that there was cocaine in this container and that is why we are doing this,” she said.

No cocaine missing – CEPS Tema Port commander

Meanwhile, the Sector Commander of CEPS, of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), at the Tema Port, Confidence Nyadzi, has also dismissed claims that some cocaine had disappeared from the Port.

According to him, thorough investigations conducted by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), the Ministry of Interior and other sector institutions, revealed that no container with cocaine had been detained at the Port.

“I can tell you that there is no truth in that reportage. I know that this matter has been dealt with at the office of the Minister of Interior and at that meeting was the commissioner of customs, the ex-commissioner, Mr. John Vianney, myself, NACOB and the relevant stakeholders. We looked at all the issues involved, as to whether there was a cocaine missing or not, I don’t think anybody can tell you that. And I’m telling you that the report is misleading. There was no cocaine in Tema Port in anybody’s custody which got missing,” Mr Nyadzi insisted.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post We didn’t know about any cocaine  – Tema Port management appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Some of the contracts according to the then administration, were largely aimed at expanding the capacity of the Ports and Harbours Authority.

[contextly_sidebar id=”JxYA3sM2MCQMZCYeJfCd2zN1VmaZm6p7″]But speaking on the sidelines of a working visit to the Tema Port by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Mr. Paul Ansah assured that the contracts signed at the Authority will be reconsidered.

“I proposed the Port Infrastructure Development Fund in 2001, but it did not receive any attention. Thank God I am now the Director General and it will be implemented. If we had implemented in 2001, I believe we could have generated funding for this project and we will not need any money.

“All agreements, all contracts will be taken a second look at. Where there is the need to review, it will be reviewed, where there is the need to let it go; it will be let go. So we will look at the totality of all the package of all the projects, and see whether the conditions that are spelt out are entirely in our interest or not. If they are not ,what has to be done to secure the interest of our country better than it is, will be done.”

Gov’t to review PPA agreements

President Nana Addo had earlier indicated that government will conduct an audit of all Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) signed between the Electricity Company of Ghana(ECG), and Independent Power Producers(IPPs) under the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

According to him, the erstwhile John Mahama government had signed 43 PPAs, while a further 23 were under discussion.

“Government is conducting a review of all the Power Agreements entered into by the previous government in order to prioritize, renegotiate, defer or cancel outright, if necessary, in the national interest,” the President said.

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post We’ll review contracts signed under NDC – GPHA Director appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Under the system, Faculties and Departments would be merged to form four colleges, to facilitate the achievement of the vision of attaining a World Class university status.

Prof Aryeetey announced this in a speech read on his behalf at the launch and inception workshop of the Deltas, Vulnerability and Climate Change: Migration and Adaptation (DECCMA) project.

He said the University had undergone changes since its establishment about 65 years ago to become a top notch institution.

DECCMA from the Deltas are economic and environmental hotspots and often support high population densities estimated at over 500 million people globally, with particular concentration in South, South East and East Asia and Africa.

The just under five-year DECCMA project will examine how people are adapting to the physical effects of climate change, such as sea level rise, alongside socio-economic pressures, including land degradation and population pressure, in delta regions.

The project aims to develop methods to predict how these four deltas may evolve in the next 50 to 100 years and provide government with the knowledge and tools to ensure future policy can maximize planning services and programmes to the benefit of the region’s population.

The Vice Chancellor said UG has identified Climate Change as one of its four Research Clusters and has constituted the Trans-Disciplinary Research Group on Climate Change with focus on four key areas, namely: climate Change and Health, Climate Change and Water Resources, Climate Change and Society, and Climate Change Innovation with emphasis on Green Economy.

The university has provided the group a seed fund of One Million Ghana Cedis for the next academic year, and the activities of the research group are expected to complement ongoing Climate Change initiatives at various units in the University of Ghana, he said.

“The $1.1M DECCMA project is therefore very timely. It will add up to the various cutting edge climate change research activities in the University,” he said and added that the project, which is looking at migration as an adaptation option for the Volta delta and other deltas in Africa and Asia, will provide information for effective management of resources in the deltaic regions.

He said in addition to providing policy direction to the three doctoral researches in the Departments of Economics, Marine and Fisheries Science and the Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS) in the University of Ghana, The DECCMA project will also facilitate collaboration between the University of Ghana and other institutions in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Source: GNA

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